


For Just One Yesterday

by orphan_account



Series: a new type of normal [2]
Category: Coco (2017), Other Fandom Tags to Be Added
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Being Rewritten, Drama & Romance, F/M, I promise, I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that the title was taken from a FoB song, I'm still unsure, Might or might not have OCs, Multiple Crossovers, Post-Canon, Slow Burn, The crossover gets bigger later on as do the characters from the sources, kind of a redemption fic?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2019-11-14 14:47:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18054542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Though the events that happened two years ago are far behind the Riveras, Victoria can’t help but think of Ernesto, so much so that she realize just how much she misses him. The events that follow after this are, unfortunately, nothing short of strange…





	1. I thought of angels choking on their halos

**Author's Note:**

> Since you guys liked the last fic so much, I decided to write the full story out. Hope you guys like it (and the crossovers that are bound to come), now let the show begin! :D

The book should’ve been a little longer. Still, Victoria smiled as she closed the novel, having finished it all in one day. She liked going out with her family and all, but sometimes she just needed some time to herself, especially when it came to reading. Her family – especially her abuelo Héctor, Tíos Oscar and Felipe and Tía Rosita – always stressed that keeping to herself instead of enjoying time with others wasn’t good for her, that there were times where she had to drop her stoic act and start having some fun. Sometimes, they had to toss the book aside and drag her out to get their point across, even if it was unnecessary. She knew how and when to have fun. She wasn’t always so serious, and they knew that. She couldn’t be annoyed by them for long though, since she knew they meant well. They cared about her, which was why they did it.

The bond Victoria had with her family was the most important thing in the world to her. She didn’t know what she’d do without them.

Thinking of how much her family meant to her, Victoria found herself recalling the events where one of her family members had nearly been lost forever, how her abuelo was almost forgotten… back when Ernesto had taken almost every single thing away from them.

The thought of de la Cruz made her twitch with nervousness as she looked back on him. Even though he was foolish enough to expose himself, he did manage to have almost everyone fooled for ninety-six years – but when he wasn’t using his fair façade, he could be really nasty and cruel, even towards children as young as twelve.

 _Pero_ …

Victoria put away the finished book before looking around a different section of the library she was visiting, scanning titles until she finally found the book she was looking for.

_Should we destroy our de la Cruz collections?_

The book had been published in January 2018, not too long after de la Cruz’s true nature had been revealed. It was one of the most popular reads now, right next to Carlos Fuente’s _Aura._ It surprised Victoria how she hadn’t picked it up a year ago as opposed to now. Maybe then, it would’ve prepared her for that conversation with de la Cruz.

But that had been a while ago. Ernesto was still under the bell, while she was back with her family, who was ever so grateful for her bravery in turning the camera against him. Everyone was happy that he was gone, but while she was happy that her family was finally together at last and that her abuelo’s legacy would live on… her phantom heart twinged as she remembered visiting Ernesto.

She still didn’t know why she went there, to the bell that held the man who tore her family apart. She didn’t know _why_ she began talking with him. Thank the gods that no one else was watching, or else she would’ve felt so _stupid_ …

But the more they talked, the more she realized why she came there… because she pitied him.

Sure, he had murdered her abuelo, stole his songs and guitar and almost made him experience the final death, but… he wasn’t so bad, compared to many other criminals who had done much worse, like outright torturing their victims while keeping them alive.  

Deep down, there was still some humanity that he held onto, humanity that he had shown the day they spoke to each other.

Victoria didn’t care to read the entire book, since it seemed to eventually delve into the common opinion that “de la Cruz was one of the worst criminals in Mexican history and deserved more than just the bell.” She simply turned the pages, looking over the summaries and pictures of Ernesto. There was the typical introductory information, which was listed on every single article about him.

He was born in 1896 and rose to fame in 1922, starring in films and having a couple affairs before getting crushed by a giant bell in 1942. He charmed everyone with his charismatic nature and wooed dozens of women, having the world wrapped around his finger until the truth came out on November 2nd of 2017, during his Sunrise Spectacular. A young living boy named Miguel Rivera – who had gotten himself cursed – spoke out against him, saying that he was a coward who had to steal from his great-great grandfather to get to where he was. De la Cruz tried throwing the boy off a building, but the boy was rescued by his great-great grandmother’s alebrije.

It was thanks to 50 year-old Victoria Muñoz Rivera and her aunt, 60 year-old Rosita Muñoz, that his evil deeds were recorded and shown to the audience. Not too long after, the family’s alebrije had snatched him up with her backlegs and had her fun with him, before finally throwing him to the giant bell in the distance.

A giant bell… was there really no other punishment available for him? Victoria had studied law back in her high school days and knew that although the former star definitely had to pay for his actions, having him crushed by a bell _again_ was definitely not a reasonable penalty. For god’s sake, there were criminals who encased their victims in _concrete_ after weeks of endless torture, yet their punishments were less extreme compared to his.

“It isn’t fair,” Victoria muttered, closing the book.

She left the library, not bothering to check out any books. She sulked all the way back home, where she gave a small knock on the door. Papá Héctor was the one who answered it, eagerly greeting his granddaughter, “Hola, Vicita! How was your visit at the library?”

“Fine,” she answered glumly, walking past him into the house.

Héctor’s cheeriness faded as he noticed how sad his nieta was. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked. “You look kind of… sad.”

He was right. She _was_ sad, sad because she felt guilty about Ernesto’s fate.

But her abuelo couldn’t know that, so she simply said “I’m fine, abuelo” before heading up the stairs to her room. She knew he most likely thought that the bell was a fair punishment for de la Cruz, but not her. She felt like there were other solutions, better ways of delivering justice instead of such an extreme measure.

Victoria remembered the toast they had made prior to the concert: the toast to family and friendship. She had all her family and friends, and what did Ernesto have? Nothing and nobody, not even his little alebrijes that followed him around everywhere he went.

He was all alone.

She remembered all the words she had said to him, how she expressed her feelings about it all. She could still hear his voice getting all choked up as she gave him the coke bottle.

She sniffled, remembering how he had said _I was going to be alone again._ She had cried for him over how unfair and unjust his punishment was.

To try and stop herself from crying again, Victoria picked up a pen and a diary that she called ‘Kitty’, which she used whenever she needed to write down all her own personal thoughts. She hadn’t used it in a long time, having been focused on other books as well as spending a lot of time with her family.

Today, she would use Kitty again, writing all of her thoughts about all the events from the past – about Ernesto.

 _Dear Kitty,_ she wrote. _How long has it been since I’ve written? I believe I stopped writing back after Abuelo and Mamá reunited. My apologies, but with the whole family back together and music being allowed, I’ve been so caught up with it all that I forgot to check up with you._

_Enough about that though, for now I will tell you of my inner, secretive thoughts about everything. Do you remember Ernesto de la Cruz?_

_I’m sure you remember that man from the night Miguel got cursed, two years ago. My little sobrino wanted to be a musician so badly that he refused Mamá Imelda’s blessing and ran off for hours, only for Mamá Imelda to find him in a sinkhole along with Papá Héctor._

_When we all met up, Miguel told her how Papá Héctor tried to come home, only to die of poison on the way back thanks to de la Cruz. Miguel decided to accept her blessing, but only if they got Papá Héctor’s photo back._

_With the help of Frida, we snuck into the Sunrise Spectacular and fought with de la Cruz and his goons, retrieving Papá Héctor’s photo._

_Unfortunately though, before Miguel could go home with the photo, de la Cruz grabbed him by the hoodie and held him hostage, before he tried to kill him again._

_Before Pepita came back up with Miguel, I saw how distraught Papá Héctor was as I helped him get back up. I saw the pain and horror in his eyes, and just how it had crushed his very last hope…_

It hurt to write about that night and what Ernesto had done to her grandfather and nephew. Though he never got away with it in the end, what he had done still left an ugly mark on them all.

 _Thankfully, Miguel was safe, but Papá Héctor almost faded away,_ she continued to write, frowning as she remembered how her grandfather’s body had flickered violently.   _His body was convulsing, shining with gold… we all thought it would be the end for him._

_But Miguel promised he wouldn’t let Coco forget him, and he kept that promise._

_At last, our family was whole again._

Victoria bit the tips of her fingers, unsure about describing Ernesto’s fate. 

“You have to write it down, Victoria,” she said to herself, firmly and determinedly. “It might be useful for... what's ever to come in the future.”

_Months later, we were given the footage of Pepita playing around with Ernesto like he was a chew toy. Everyone laughed at the sight of him being thrown to the bell… all except me._

_I couldn’t bring myself to laugh at it, not when it didn’t feel right. Even though I should’ve considered him an enemy, I can’t… I can’t bring myself to actually hate him. I can pretend to agree with everyone else when they say he got what he deserved, but really, I don’t believe it._

Victoria quickly wiped away a tear, then continued with writing. If there was one thing that would help her cope with her sorrow, it was expressing her real feelings to Kitty. She never spoke to any members of her family about her visit to the bell tower, about her guilt towards his current state. They would never understand how she felt the way she came to understand Ernesto.

_I think they’re all wrong._

Victoria stopped again, tears pricking her eyes as she felt the aching in her heart come back, memories flashing so vividly in her head.

She sniffed, breathed in and continued.

_I know this sounds crazy, but I visited him not too long ago at the bell tower because I felt so bad for him. He had to relive his death again, only now he's trapped under the bell for the rest of his days with no chance of being let out. He's confined to such a small space, that I don't doubt for a second that it's slowly but surely squeezing him and cracking his bones._

_No matter what anyone else might say, two wrongs don't always make a right._

A tear rolled down her cheek, falling onto the paper. Victoria shook her head, wiping her tears away with her arms as she tried to remain focused. She was almost finished. 

She went on about how everyone had celebrated and about how everyone was so proud of her.

_It seems like the guilt will never cease._

_After all of those events, life seemed to get better. Dante always comes every now and then to deliver letters from Papá Héctor to Miguel. Miguel writes songs now and plays the guitar. In the land of the dead, we've formed a family band. Papá Héctor plays his guitar, Mamá Imelda sings, my mamá and papá dance, Tía Rosita plays her own guitar, Tío Oscar and Tío Felipe play trumpets and I play the violin. We recently had a concert and played "The World es mi Familia," which everyone - especially the Villavicencio family - seemed to like. Earlier this morning, I even helped Mamá Imelda with some boots._

_But just because I spend time with my family, doesn't mean that I don't visit Ernesto anymore..._

_You see, I've made up my own little schedule, using my free time to take "long walks" when really, it's to visit Ernesto. Sometimes, we talk. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? More crazy than the new inventions that the twins keep coming up with... but unlike those inventions, talking actually works. Turns out, you can learn so much more about someone through a simple conversation._

_Even though this sounds foolish, I'm willing to be his friend now. He doesn't seem to mind the idea either, since he liked my gift so much._

Victoria stopped and bit her lip. She had just poured all of her feelings into her diary. This needed to be kept between her and Kitty. She couldn't dare to express her true feelings to her family, not even her aunt whom she was always so close to or her grandfather, who started spoiling her the moment he found out she was the daughter of his darling bebita.

They wouldn't understand now, but maybe when the time came and Ernesto...

“I won’t be able to see him again,” Victoria said quietly, sadly. She sighed, shutting her eyes. Everything had changed now, and Ernesto was to thank for that. She opened her eyes slowly, finishing her entry.

_This seems impossible, but I have hope. When I was growing up, I was told how true friends never give up._

_Well, I think that message rings true right now, because I’m not going to give on Ernesto._

Finally, she put the pen down, finished with writing her most private thoughts and feelings. She smiled sadly as she closed her diary, putting the pen away afterwards.

She looked at the clock and realized how long it had taken to write that. She needed to go downstairs and join her family, allowing herself to take her mind off her sadness and enjoy the happiness that came from _familia._

Victoria opened her bedroom door and left, though she stopped in her tracks to turn back to the diary on her desk. She went back over to the desk and pulled open the top drawer nearby, bring out a lock for the diary so she could seal it tightly.

She smiled wistfully, going out and closing the door behind her. Though she loved her twin uncles, they sometimes stuck their noses where they didn’t belong, so to speak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got any thoughts on this so far? Don't hesitate to tell me! I love hearing what other people think.


	2. Get them drunk on rose water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here in this chapter, we get our first (albeit it's kinda tiny right now, but I swear will get bigger) crossover: one with characters from the “Book of Life”! :D

It was always nice to visit distant relatives, especially those who were cut off due to the music ban such as her grandmother’s extended family. It helped make up for all the lost time.

Victoria smiled as she looked out to the front of the horse wagon, watching Papá Héctor and Mamá Imelda chat excitedly with Tía Carmen, Primo Manolo and his wife María at the driver's seat. The last time Tía Carmen had visited was a little while after Imelda and Héctor had started to reconcile their relationship, prior to Coco’s arrival in the Land of the Dead.

She leaned against the sides as she recalled how Carmen came knocking on the door, asking to speak to her sobrina, Imelda. She along with everyone else – except the twins and Héctor – was confused at first, but Imelda soon came in and hugged her aunt. They then went to the kitchen to discuss, and discuss they did.

Victoria remembered how the twins had gotten everyone to listen into Carmen and Imelda’s conversation, how they overheard them talking about how gossip had circulated that there was music back at the Zapatería de Rivera along with the whole living boy fiasco. Carmen’s husband, Carlos Sánchez, had overheard some of it and spoke to his wife about it since her brother had been Imelda’s father, making her a Rivera by blood and maiden name. Of course, she went to see if it was true for herself.

Imelda had confirmed that everything was true, that there was music back in the Rivera family and that all that happened with de la Cruz and Miguel had actually happened.

Victoria saw how Carmen clasped her hands happily for a moment, smiling with delight at the news of music returning, until it fell as the talk of the Day of the Dead fiasco was confirmed true as well. “I thought people were making up that part,” she’d said. “I didn’t think that- _oh dear_ … is – is the boy alright? He wasn’t hurt, was he?”

“He’s fine, don’t worry, tía,” Imelda had assured her. “Pepita caught him in time.”

With that, they continued the conversation. They talked of how long it had been since they’d last talked, how the Riveras were adjusting to having music back in their lives, how Manolo and Carlos were doing… they talked of every single thing they could think up of, spending hours and hours having a long overdue family chat. 

How happy the two looked as they chatted, how friendly they were to each other… how it reminded Victoria of how she and her aunt would talk to each other when she was younger, after a long day of school and work at the shoe shop.

After hours of talking, Carmen came to the rest of the family as Imelda introduced her to them. “Julio, Rosita, Victoria, this is my tía, Carmen,” she’d said. “Tía Carmen, this is my son-in-law, Julio, his sister Rosita and my nieta, Victoria.”

Carmen had waved and said how it was such a pleasure to meet the rest of the family, then greeted the twins, who eagerly said it was good to see her again. Finally, she went over to Papá Héctor, who froze up nervously as she looked him over.

He had looked so terrified, so worried as if she were judging him, as if she was going to turn him away like everyone else had in the past, but she didn’t. Instead, Tía Carmen said, “ _Ay, pobrecito…_ you’ve been through hell and back, but no more.”

Papá Héctor’s eyes had been filled with tears as she then told him, “Welcome back to the family.” Everyone could see his eyes watering, his body shaking before he suddenly hugged her and whispered, “G-gracias.”

Victoria almost teared up as she remembered how excited Papá Héctor got when Tía Carmen mentioned that she had planned another visit, so all the Riveras could get reacquainted with their Sánchez relatives, who were all wondering how things were going.

Not long after that visit, many reunions and get-togethers were scheduled, so that they could all catch up after years of being estranged.

Miguel was right in a way: their love for each other did live on forever, and nothing could break them apart… at least, not this time.

“Victoria? Hey,  _Victoria_!”

“Huh?” She shook herself out of her thoughts, looking to see Oscar and Felipe right by the wagon’s back exit. “What is it now, tíos?”

“We’re here, Victoria,” the twins said in unison, gesturing outside to the others who had already left the carriage.

"Must've been daydreaming about something from one of her books while we were coming out here," Julio guessed. 

Victoria rolled her eyes as she stepped out of the wagon. "No, I wasn't," she replied simply, following behind the others around the Land of the Dead's equivalent to the city of San Ángel. "I was being ruminative."

San Ángel was so big and beautiful. It was almost as grand as the plaza was. Victoria always liked how she could get a view of the vast architectures in the distance. Not to mention, the people there were such nice folks, ranging from kind nuns, brave soldiers and bullfighters to goofy mariachis and musicians with hearts of gold.

“Do try not to crush anyone with your bear hugs, tía,” Victoria said to her aunt as she walked by her. “You nearly choked poor Carlos to a second death last time.”

“But I can’t help it, Vico!” Rosita replied as she walked alongside her niece. “It’s just a natural instinct to give a family member or close friend a tight hug.”

It was another one of those family gatherings, where everyone got together to have fun and enjoy one another’s company at the Sánchez’s place. Since they had gotten here in their town early, they would have lunch here. Together, Carmen and Rosita would make the food since everyone wondered what a combination of the two's cooking would taste like.

Walking through the streets, Victoria admired all the shopkeepers around, selling all sorts of things ranging from instruments to simple sweets. She enjoyed the sight of parents with their children, elderly couples leaning against each other as they walked – it was all touching, and it made her wish the best for them all.

“Home sweet home,” Manolo sighed, looking around. “Entonces, ¿qué quieres hacer primero?”

The twins were the first ones to answer, running past everyone to a large poster board and ripping off one of the posters. The others all either laughed or rolled their eyes.

“It’s a contest for inventing machines!” Oscar and Felipe exclaimed excitedly in unison.

“I… don’t think that’s a good idea right now, tíos,” Coco said softly, unsure of it. “Remember the last invention you made? You know, the one where its purpose was to help with baking but it only ended up destroying the cherry pie?”

“Don’t worry, it'll be fine,” María assured. “The worst that could happen is them creating a machine that’s like a bull.”

Victoria watched as her family enjoyed all of San Ángel’s scenery, as well as watching the twins do their thing. Though Mamá Imelda loved spending time with her close family members, she also loved spending time with her distant relatives, and so did Papá Héctor.

To think, there wouldn’t be visits like this if Ernesto had-

Suddenly, a memory of de la Cruz was triggered. It was when Mamá Imelda was leading them down the hallway, before bumping into Ernesto. After slapping him twice while calling Papá Héctor “the love of her life”, the Riveras all chased after him.

What happened afterwards was a huge fight between them, the guards and Ernesto. Victoria had taken on the guards alongside her uncles, father, grandfather and aunt, which left Mamá Imelda to take on de la Cruz all by herself. They engaged in a scuffle for the photo, until Miguel came in, knocking the man to the ground.

Mamá Imelda had fallen back with the photo, only to be lifted up to the stage in seconds. Then, the matriarch did something that surprised everyone (except for Miguel): she sang.

She sang “La Llorona” while moving to get away from the guards, but before she could run into Papá Héctor’s arms, Ernesto grabbed her wrist and danced her around the stage. The twins and Miguel had to restrain Héctor from marching onto the stage and yanking the mariachi off his wife.

But while it was a slimy thing to do, it wasn’t the most awful thing he had done, compared to what he did next…

Victoria shook her head, trying not to think of those events. _Think happy thoughts, Victoria,_ she told herself. _Happy thoughts…_

Mamá Imelda stomped on de la Cruz’s foot, making him let her go. She ran backstage and threw herself into Héctor’s arms, only pulling away after an awkward silence. He complimented her, and they smiled at each other for a moment until Miguel cleared his throat. Imelda then gave him the photo and gave him her blessing to go home, to put up her and Héctor’s photo and to not forget how much his family loved him. The boy was about to take the blessing, when-

Immediately, the memory of de la Cruz showing his true colors resurfaced, as well as the memory of the Sunrise Spectacular footage…

_That bell..._

Victoria remember writing in her journal back at home, spending a good chunk of her time pouring her grief into Kitty, wishing there was another way…

She stopped thinking about de la Cruz, thinking of Miguel instead. Such a stubborn boy he was, always insisting on playing music despite the ban and the stories he’d been told every Día de los Muertos prior to his journey. He had been particularly difficult on the day he got himself cursed, not wanting to take Mamá Imelda’s blessing because he thought it wasn’t unfair. _It’s my life,_ he had said. _You’ve already had yours!_

In the beginning, he hadn’t really thought about family and how much they loved him. He was too preoccupied with being a musician like de la Cruz, his ex-idol. He’d even made the mistake of thinking _him_ to be his great-great grandfather, which set him off on his journey, making a deal with Papá Héctor in the process. In exchange of getting the boy to de la Cruz, his photo would be put up on the ofrenda so he could cross over the bridge in return.

But not everything goes as planned, and Miguel learned that the hard way.

There, in the far corner of a cenote, Mamá Imelda found Miguel along with her estranged husband. She let them all ride on Pepita’s back, and they met up with the rest of the family at an empty plaza.

They had all ran up to Miguel, relieved that he was alright. The little happy reunion was cut short though as Imelda shouted at Héctor, letting him know that she wanted nothing to do with him in life or in death, even going as far to blame him for Miguel being in the cenote, until the boy went in and stood up for his great-great grandfather.

 _He tried to go home to you and Coco, but de la Cruz murdered him,_ he revealed the truth to Imelda, in front of everyone. After a century of not knowing, Héctor’s death was finally known.

And somehow, within a night, Miguel had completely changed. No longer was he a boy who wanted music more than family, but instead this smart, thoughtful boy who was willing to put his familia over his own interests… a boy who was willing to let family come first.

Thanks to him, the whole family was united and Ernesto payed for his crimes.

After watching Pepita take out ‘the trash’, Mamá Imelda had cursed de la Cruz’s name and said how glad she was that he was gone. Though she understood her anger, Victoria couldn’t help but feel that her grandmother was perhaps a bit harsh.

Of course, Mamá Imelda nor anyone else had felt the kind of remorse Victoria had when they saw what had happened to Ernesto. Knowing they had been victorious, everyone had hugged tightly, laughing with joy that the man who caused so much pain for them was gone.

Once that was over, Victoria had went aside to talk to her abuelo, asking him why he had gone on tour with Ernesto and why Imelda’s loathing of the _asesino_ seemed to burn deeper than his.

Though both questions seemed a little out of place considering that they had just had a recollection of what they’d all been through, Victoria needed to know. Papá Héctor was willing to give an explanation for both of her questions.

His answer for the first question was that he and Imelda were two young parents raising a three year-old in a small town located in Oaxaca. The revolution had only recently ended and it was hard putting food on the table, so when Ernesto came knocking on the door, offering a chance to perform for the country, Héctor’s only option at the time seemed to be either leaving his family for a couple of months or seeing his wife and daughter get thinner. In the end, he ended up regretting his choice, wishing he could’ve taken the time to learn a new trade instead.

As for the second answer, he told her of how he had introduced Imelda to Ernesto, and how de la Cruz called her a “donkey in a girl’s skin” due to her shoe-wielding tendencies to be known even back then. Needless to say, the two formed distaste towards each other, and Imelda had the upper hand each and every time.

Victoria couldn’t really blame her abuelo for his choice, sympathizing with him. If she were in his shoes trying to feed her parents and sister, she would’ve left Santa Cecilia to travel too. She also understood Mamá Imelda’s anger, since de la Cruz had been rude to her and nearly took everything from her as well. If she had been in _her_ shoes, she would’ve been pissed too. Ernesto had been rotten to both of her grandparents, infuriating her.

But everything was okay now. She remembered the other things her abuelo had told her, of how Ernesto always had a way with words, using them to get what he wanted. He had been Héctor’s friend since childhood, sticking by his side since the beginning ‘till his end, so what did he have to lose by going with good ‘ol Nesto?

Victoria failed to suppress a giggle at the nickname. A part of her wished things had been different so that she could have seen the side of him that her abuelo had known as a kid, or at least the side that de la Cruz had shown to Miguel, before the whole murder revelation.

Well, at least he’d had a bit of fun before he spiraled-

She shook her head again. _Damn it, Victoria,_ she cursed herself. _What is it with you and this guilt? It’s not your fault, it’s-_

“Vicita?” Héctor asked, snapping his fingers in front of his granddaughter’s face. “Victoria, mija, are you there?”

“Wha- oh…” Victoria blinked, twitching her body to snap back to reality and looked to see her abuelo staring at her, a little befuddled.

“You sure are acting a little, uh, _ruminative_ today,” he remarked.

She let out a sigh, giving him an eye roll. “So maybe I’ve been thinking about my books a little too much,” she lied, yawning. “And… and I’m feeling a little tired, too.”

“Perhaps you should ease up a little,” Héctor suggested. He looked around, pointing a hand towards a bench. “Go on, sit down and take a little break. It’ll make you feel more relaxed.”

Victoria smiled at him, thankful that her abuelo didn't press on further as she went over and sat down on the bench. She watched as a party was hosted in the distance near a fountain, with many people gathering around to dance and sing.

Papá Héctor was right, this was _very_ relaxing.

“Hmm...” She leaned back against the bench. “Now I know why you liked throwing parties so much... they're very fun.”

Then, she realized that a _party_ was where Papá Héctor and Miguel snuck into to get to Ernesto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so all those recollections of de la Cruz's actions and the Sunrise Spectacular? It's gonna kinda be a thing. I apologize if it seems repetitive at times, but it's for story purposes. I do promise it'll lead up to something good though, I swear.


	3. See how dirty I can get them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we get some casual family stuff... sorry for not updating sooner, but I was so focused on my switcharoo fic and a new interest that I lost track of the draft for this chapter. Thankfully, I was able to locate it in my files and finish up where I left off so, enjoy.

“Oh, how I love movie nights!” Rosita squealed.

Victoria looked up from the book she was reading, smiling as she watched her family gather around in the living room, while other folks were gathered around the shoe shop. This movie night was a special one because Papá Héctor and Mamá Imelda decided to treat almost every person in the Land of the Dead to a movie night. Since Victoria, her parents, Tía Rosita, Tío Oscar and Tío Felipe were family, they were able to get in first to get good seats – basically some furniture and pillows on the floor.

Victoria loved movie nights as they were something she’d experience every weekend during her childhood, and even in adulthood. Although she loved them, she began working at the shop and reading books during her spare time to the point where she almost had no more time for movie nights, causing her uncles and aunt to spend movie nights without her. They often wondered why she preferred to stick her head in books rather than have some fun, especially with her own family nonetheless.

But now that her grandfather was back, Victoria started enjoying movie nights again with her family, but she still kept her books close to her.

“Victoria, are you reading?” She flinched when her Tía Rosita suddenly appeared by her side, staring at her with his eyes squinting. “On movie night? Why?”

“Do you ever know when to put down a book?” Tío Oscar asked.

“Nope,” Tío Felipe answered his brother’s question.

“Aren’t we all waiting?” Victoria retorted as she turned the page. “And I’m almost done. It’d be nice if you considered borrowing it so you could read it yourself.”

“No thank you,” the twins replied, lying back against the couch’s pillows.

Coco rolled her eyes at her uncles before giving her daughter a soft look. “Mija, I do enjoy reading, but you should put that book down.”

“Your mother’s right,” Julio agreed with his wife. “Enjoy yourself tonight.”

“I am enjoying myself,” Victoria muttered, eyes focused on the book as she turned the next page. “It’s getting more interesting as I’m reaching the conclusion…”

“Give me that!” Tío Felipe exclaimed, quickly going over and snatching it from his niece.

Oscar joined in, grabbing it from his brother. "No, let me see!"

"¡Oye!" Victoria cried out in objection, before trying to get the book back from her uncles. The twins passed the book between each other each time she tried to grab it from one of them, making her growl and clench her fists, sending off warning signals. She hated when others - even family members - snatched things from her just like that, especially when it was something really good, like this book.

Oscar and Felipe both laughed. The elder twin closed the book and gave it back to his niece. "Relájate, Toya. We're just trying to get your head out of the clouds and back in the real world."

Victoria let out a scoff, before she opened up her book again. "I'll be back in the 'real world' as soon as I'm finished with the conclusion."

"And then what?" Rosita asked playfully. Before her niece could respond, she reached for the bag by her niece's side and pulled it out, revealing that it was filled with books.

Victoria's face flushed a little. It was a habit to bring books over, just in case she finished one and wanted to read another.

"Dios mío!" Coco gasped, looking at the bag that was filled to the brim with books. She gave her daughter a stern look, lips curving into a frown. "I understand you love reading, mija, but you need to put them away sometimes. You need to have fun with your family once in a while."

“De acuerdo,” Julio agreed, giving a small smile. “You’ve been reading a lot, which isn’t necessarily bad, but… it can be a little too much, sometimes.”

“You also spend a lot of time with that diary of yours,” Oscar added.

“Kitty, I believe?” Felipe tried to recall the journal’s name.

When the middle-aged woman gave them both with a questionable look, they immediately held their hands up defensively. “Not that we ever tried to open it up and take a quick peek!” they quickly defended themselves.

“Muy bien, todos!” Papá Héctor said happily as he came into the living room with a projector, a screen and a cart with bowls of popcorn and some drinks behind him. “Who’s ready for some películas?!”

“¡Yo soy!” the twins and Rosita said excitedly, holding their hands up high in the air.

“Then let’s start the film!” Papá Héctor said, flipping one of the projector’s switches. Mamá Imelda turned off the lights and everyone became silent as the movie began.

But it was interrupted by the sound of a bag being searched through, along with a book’s pages being flipped through.

 _“Victoria!”_ her family shouted.

“Hmm?” She looked up from her book, trying to flip through the pages quietly so no one would notice, but unfortunately it _was_ noticed by her family.

“Vicita, we are watching a movie so _please_ put the book down,” Mamá Imelda ordered softly but firmly. “ _Now._ ”

“Fine,” Victoria grumbled, putting the book back in her bag. At least she made it to the very last page…

Then, a bowl of popcorn was plopped into her lap. “Here, mija,” Papá Héctor insisted. “I brought some popcorn just in case anyone wanted to eat. It’ll get your mind off those books and into the spirit of the night.”

Victoria couldn’t help but smile. Her family was only trying make her life fun. Besides, she could always read alone in her room. She accepted the bowl of popcorn, digging a hand in and munching on the snack while she watched the screen turn on. It had been a while since she had a proper movie night.

She watched as the screen displayed a film about a middle-aged woman with no friends or family-

_Espera… ¿qué?_

Mouth filled with popcorn with eyes widening, Victoria watched as the woman tried to reach out to her distant family and friends, attempting to reconcile with them but failing. Either she had said some things in the past, or did something to make them shun her… or worse. As the movie went on, Victoria’s eyes became more glued to the screen while she drank some coke, sharing the popcorn with her aunt and uncles.

On the screen, a shadow suddenly loomed over the woman, who was unaware of its prescence.

The crowd shrieked, including Rosita. The twins clung to each other, fearful of what would happen next.

The woman in the film started trembling when the shadow moved closer. Victoria's eyes got even wider as she anticipated what the creature's real identity was.

The shadow was that of a man in his mid forties, with hair slicked back... a moustache... a fair build...

"Er- _Ernesto_?" Victoria gasped, but quickly put her hand over her mouth so that no one would hear her.

Turned out that it wasn't another film of Ernesto's, and the actor was just a handsome man who had a lot of features from him. Maybe he was a distant relative, or even a sibling. Who knows?

She gulped, watching the woman and man form a new friendship. Why was she still thinking about Ernesto? Yes, she felt guilty about him being crushed by the bell, forced to remain stuck under it until he was forgotten by the world...

There was an aching feeling where her heart once resided, emerging as she clutched a coke bottle close to her, moving her eyes away from the television set. She leaned back, knocking over her bag filled with all those books, one of which fell out.

_Should we burn our de la Cruz collections?_

She groaned silently. Why did she even bring the book, when there were so many others to choose from? She had finished it a long time ago... yet, there were parts of it that she couldn't help but reread. She stared at the book, then picked it up carefully, slipping it back into her back so as to not disrupt anything.

She only kept it because it shed light on his past, before he had been revealed to be a fraud. She got to see pictures of him, read his quotes and generally learn more about him... she read the book, so she could learn more about him. She  _needed_ to know if he had always been like- like  _that,_ or if she was right and that there _was_ a good side to him. She couldn't rely on visits alone, especially since they were limited due to her not wanting her family to discover what she was secretly doing during some of her free time.

There were some questions Victoria had that had been answered long before she read the book though. She'd never admit it to anyone, but her opinion on de la Cruz had changed from anger to some pity. She knew that deep down, there had to be some goodness left within him- some humanity that still remained, despite everything.

The woman’s attention was no longer focused on the film. Instead, her mind was dominated by thoughts of de la Cruz as well as drinking the coke…

Papá Héctor had said that Ernesto starred in a couple of films, which were released during the late 1920s to the early 1940s, until 1942. Other than that infamous Don Hidalgo film, there was that one film where he played a priest- Nuestra Iglesia, she believed it was called.

She was never able to watch it in neither life nor death, but from the book she had read, she was given a good summary: a well-meaning priest helps out nuns, sings and flies, albeit with very noticeable edits due to the year the film had been released. She also read a few bits of the script in the book, and in those bits of script de la Cruz sounded so… charming.

Then again, from most descriptions and quotes from him, there was hardly a moment where he wasn’t showing his charming side. The only time he wasn’t was when he- he-

 _Stop it,_ she hissed at herself. _Stop it with the bad thoughts. Think happy thoughts, Victoria. Happy thoughts…_

And happy thoughts she did think, of how she gave Ernesto that coke bottle along with a little wish… a wish that he was the man in the film, playfully approaching the woman, twirling her around while breaking out into song, happier than a child at an amusement park…

“Oye, Vico!”

She snapped back to reality, realizing she was drinking out of an empty bottle now. She turned and saw her aunt tilting her head at her while the twins were snickering and pointing at the bottle.

“You do realize that you’re drinking nothing, right?” her aunt asked. 

"Oh," Victoria said, settling the glass aside. "It must've been some movie, making me drink the whole bottle..."

"Aww, don't worry about it too much, mija," her mamá assured her. 

"Better this than focusing so much on those books," her papá added.

"At least you've gotten into the spirit of movie night," Papá Héctor said cheerfully. "Don't worry, we've got more coke in the fridge. Could you bring some over here?"

"Of course, Abuelito," Victoria said with relief as she stood up, trying to walk by without disturbing the film. As she went into the kitchen to grab the beverages from the fridge, a thought crossed her mind.

What would Ernesto have thought of coke? She knew well enough that like most stars, he liked his tequila and fancy little snacks... but what would he have said to a nice soft drink and some popcorn? Hell, what would he even think about the movie? Would he like the simple entertainment, or would he think he was too high above it?

She got all the drinks she could and put them on a tray, then went back into the living room. She held the tray in front of each family member, then set it aside as she took her own coke and finally sat back down. Giving a quick smile to her family as they all thanked her, she looked back at the screen.

The woman and man sure were good friends...

Victoria's smile soon faded as she remembered what she had written in her journal, of how she wished things were different. Maybe, if things were different, Ernesto would be sitting right beside her, enjoying a bottle of coke as well...

It sounded too good to be true...

Her eyes watered as she imagined it- Ernesto sitting beside her, amused by the film, laughing with her as they took sips from their coke bottles. She couldn't really picture her family there though, still thinking- no,  _knowing_ \- they wouldn't understand.

All she could imagine was the two of them sitting in front of the screen, alone in the shoe shop, happy and content, knowing it would take quite a while before the people become used to his presence.

 _If_ he could ever be present again, that was.

Sighing, Victoria gulped down her coke in one shot, in an attempt to ignore the pathetic hope she held for what could have been.

He would have liked the film, no doubt about it. Maybe even more than coke, which she continued to drink until not a single drop was left in the bottle. 


	4. Pulling out their fragile teeth and clip their tiny wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of Ernesto's perspective.

About two years ago, the thought of _the_ Ernesto de la Cruz getting visit from a member of the _Rivera_ family was laughable - insane, even. Just the thought of Mexico’s greatest musician meeting with one of those music-hating shoemakers would send one into hysterical fits, yet now… now, the thought was still seen as insane, but for different reasons.

One being that de la Cruz was no longer considered the greatest musician, not after what he had done to the true musician behind it all, Héctor Rivera. Another reason was the fact that he was stuck underneath a gigantic bell, so at most a visit would be a quick stop by. Finally, the third reason was because of how filthy and despicable he was towards the Riveras, murdering their patriarch in cold blood and leaving him to almost being forgotten… so of course, a visit from any them seemed near impossible.

And yet, much to Ernesto’s surprise, Victoria came stopping by his bell that one day. Why had Héctor’s precious nieta, one of the two women who had brought his downfall, come to visit? He didn’t know. He couldn’t understand _why_ she would even think visiting, let alone even try to _talk_ to him.

But she did it anyway.

He could still remember their conversation, how he’d snapped at her and how she stood her ground, until she had softened and spoke of how she… felt bad for him. The granddaughter of the man he murdered felt _sorry_ for him.

_"Even though I was proud of mi familia and even myself for exposing you, there's a part of me deep down that feels guilty."_

_"I don't feel guilty for showing your true colors, but I do feel guilty for… well, this punishment. Your crime was bad, yes, but not quite as severe as other crimes out there… there are people who've done worse, yet they get a mere sentence to a prison cell, while you get crushed by a bell."_

_"I, I guess there is a reason to cry over you. I'm out here living my life happily with my family, while you're stuck under that bell with no company… not even your alebrijes are here to guard you."_

She pitied him, because she thought his punishment was unjust - something that surprised him, even now. Those who weren’t related to the Riveras always came to his bell, cursing his name and telling him that he deserved every bit of his punishment and more, yet this woman… this woman, a Rivera by blood, inheritance and heritage, thought it was unfair.

And her reasoning was even more shocking.

_"The point that I'm trying to make is that even if you're an evil, lying, murderous plagiarist… for some reason, I can see a bit of goodness in you."_

_"I know this sounds stupid, but I wanted you to know… even if your actions were wrong, there's this hope I have that maybe in another life, we could've been friends…"_

Victoria Rivera actually believed there was some good within the very man who tore her family apart, who nearly damned her abuelo to a second death. She saw goodness within him, somehow - she thought he had _potential._

Ever since that fateful night two years ago, Ernesto never would have pictured having anyone close to an ally, least of all within a _Rivera,_ yet… Victoria had stood there by his bell, vocalizing that she indeed thought there was something decent to him.

She even gave him a gift - a coke bottle, fresh from the bakery. It was such a simple present yet when it rolled under the bell, he found himself getting a bit... teary-eyed. 

He'd asked her why, and her only response was: "Consider it as a gift from an amiga to an amigo."

And she had left after that, leaving him with the little gift. To most people, a coke bottle was a mere simple gift, but to Ernesto... to Ernesto, it meant so much  _more_. It meant that despite everything, there was at least  _one_ person who had a tiny sliver of faith in him - someone who didn't completely despise him.

Someone who could've - who  _would've_ \- been a friend of his.

Ever since that visit, he couldn't stop thinking about that woman - how firm yet soft she could be, how she spoke with such honesty; just how different she was from everyone else. There were times where he wondered if she was even real or not, if she had been a fragment of his imagination, only for the empty coke bottle to prove otherwise. 

Hell, he wondered how she was even a Rivera, much less Héctor's granddaughter. Of course, Coco  _had_ to have at least one son or daughter in order for Miguel to have existed, but... Victoria was so different from her family, so different that she stood out like a black wolf amongst white sheep. 

Yet in her attitude, he could see her stubbornness. In the way she snapped, he saw bits of Héctor's anger and Imelda's fire - he saw that the apple didn't fall too far from its tree. Hell, he'd only caught a small glimpse at her during the Sunrise Spectacular, and even then he could see that she had inherited most of her looks from Héctor,  _especially_ the face shape. Dios, it was almost as if the vagabundo had been her papá instead of abuelo...

All of this in mind only made Ernesto's feelings on Victoria all the more complicated. On one hand, she was the reason he was in this position to begin with - she turned the camera against him, leading to the people scorning him - but on the other, she seemed to genuinely  _care_ about him. She even said that under a different circumstance, they could've been - they  _should have_ been - amigos.

"Ah," the former musician sighed, leaning his head back against the bell. A coke bottle lay by his side, empty yet in perfect shape as it was a valuable item. He pressed one hand against the bell, just as he tried picturing her standing outside. "If only death was fairer than life."

_If only._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a part of me wants to bring in the skele OCs for the next chapter while the other wants me to do one of Vico visiting Ernesto again... yet I also have the idea of writing both. What do y'all think?


End file.
